AP Friday Sports Roundup

MLB-SCHEDULE

Royals win without Gordon

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have padded their division lead by winning a matchup of the National League's top teams.

Carlos Martinez struck out eight and gave up just four hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings to lead the Redbirds past the Pirates, 4-1 in Pittsburgh. Martinez improved to 10-3 this season, and he's 7-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his last 10 starts.

The Cards did their scoring in the fifth inning as Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina each hit two-run singles.

The Pirates didn't score until Andrew McCutchen homered in the ninth.

The Cardinals are 56-31, good for a 5 1/2-game lead over the Bucs in the NL Central. The Pirates ended a five-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, Missouri's other division leader completed a four-game sweep after learning one of their All-Stars will be out eight weeks.

Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez each launched two-run homers and Yordana Ventura worked five innings as Kansas City crushed Tampa Bay 8-3. Cain's two-run blast put the Royals ahead 3-0 in the first inning before Perez went deep to cap a three-run fifth.

Ventura allowed three runs in his first start since coming off the disabled list.

The Royals improved to an AL-best 50-33, one day after outfielder Alex Gordon suffered a severe groin strain while chasing down a fly ball. Gordon was hitting .279 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Kansas City's lead in the AL Central is up to 5 ½ games after the second-place Twins absorbed a 4-2 loss to Detroit. The game was tied 2-2 in the eighth until Ian Kinsler and Yoenis Cespedes. Kinsler also hit a first-inning homer and finished with three RBIs to support David Price, who held the Twins to two runs and five hits in eight innings.

— Zack Greinke held the Phillies to one hit over eight scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers' 6-0 rout in Los Angeles. Greinke allowed just one base-runner and retired his last 21 batters after Ryan Howard led off the second with a single. Yasiel Puig hit a two-run homer and a two-run double as the NL West-leading Dodgers moved 5 ½ games ahead of San Francisco and Arizona.

— The Astros suffered their third straight loss as Cody Anderson held them to a run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings of Cleveland's 3-1 victory. The Indians scored three times in the sixth on Francisco Lindor's homer, Ryan Raburn's go-ahead double and Carlos Santana's RBI triple. Houston's lead in the AL West remains 1 ½ games over the Los Angeles Angels.

— The Angels were 7-2 losers at Seattle as Felix Hernandez scattered five hits in seven shutout innings to improve to 11-5. The Mariners tagged Garrett Richards for four runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Logan Morrison socked a solo homer and seven other Mariners had at least two of the team's 19 hits.

— Jose Fernandez was terrific in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, scattering six hits while striking out nine in seven innings of Miami's 2-0 shutout of Cincinnati. Dee Gordon had two hits and scored both runs as the Marlins ended a four-game losing streak.

— Brett Gardner homered and Masahiro Tanaka ended a four-start losing streak in the New York Yankees' 6-2 victory against Oakland. Gardner went 3-for-5 and learned during the game that he was replacing Alex Gordon on the American League squad for Tuesday's All-Star game in Cincinnati. Tanaka had surrendered 14 earned runs over 16 innings in his three previous outings before limiting the A's to just one earned run and two hits in 7 2/3 innings.

— Jeff Samardzija carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning for the second consecutive start and settled for a four-hitter in the Chicago White Sox's 2-0 shutout of Toronto. Samardzija has gone at least seven innings in his last seven starts, recording a 3.09 ERA in that span. Melky Cabrera homered for the White Sox, who took three of four in the series.

— Troy Tulowitzki now has the longest hitting streak in the majors this year, making it 21 straight games by going 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly in Colorado's 5-3 win over Atlanta. Tulowitzki's RBI put the Rockies ahead 4-0 in the second inning. Drew Stubbs hit a solo homer to help the Rockies win for just the third time in 12 games.

MLB-METS-MATZ

Mets lose Matz

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets rookie pitcher Steven Matz will be sidelined at least a month after being diagnosed with a partially torn lat muscle on his left side.

He received a platelet-rich plasma injection and will not throw for three weeks before getting examined again.

Matz is 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA and five RBIs in his two major league starts. He threw six shutout innings in his last start, Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

NFL-OBIT-STABLER

Raiders Super Bowl-winning QB dies

UNDATED (AP) — Oakland fans knew him as "The Snake," and he led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory.

Quarterback Ken Stabler has died at 69 following complications from colon cancer. Stabler was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Raiders and was named the NFL's MVP in 1974. He was under center during Oakland's 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the 1977 Super Bowl.

The Foley, Alabama, native threw for 27,938 career yards over 15 seasons, which also included stints with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. During his college career, Stabler led Alabama to an undefeated 1966 season and was chosen the Sugar Bowl MVP after a 34-7 rout of Nebraska.

The family's statement said he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in February.

NBA-TRANSACTIONS

Busy day of deals

UNDATED (AP) — The parade of free agent NBA signings has begun as all those unofficial agreements from a week ago can now be finalized.

As expected, LeBron James is staying with the Cavaliers. He's agreed to terms on a two-year, $47 million contract for next season, two people familiar with the negotiations have told The Associated Press.

The deal includes a $24 million player option for 2016-17, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity because James has not yet signed the contract.

A key part of the Cleveland run to the NBA Finals last season was the play of Kevin Love who has officially signed his five-year contract with the club. He says a frank conversation with James last week helped him decide to come back.

Elsewhere;

—The Warriors have finalized their five-year, $82 million contract with forward Draymond Green. Green averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists and finished runner-up for NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

— Portland and point guard Damian Lillard have completed the five-year contract extension worth more than $120 million.

— San Antonio has signed forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who spent his first nine seasons in Portland. Last year, he averaged a career-high 23.4 points per game along with 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

— The Los Angeles Lakers have finalized a deal that brings them two-time All-Star center Roy Hibbert from the Indiana Pacers for a future second-round draft pick.

— Jimmy Butler has made it official by completing a five-year contract to return to the Bulls. The pact is worth $95.5 million and allows him to opt out after the fourth season.

— The Raptors have inked DeMarre Carroll, a week after the forward announced his deal with the Raptors on Twitter. The 28-year old has agreed to a four-year deal worth $60 million.

— A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Oklahoma City center Enes Kanter has signed a four-year, $70 million max offer sheet from the Portland Trail Blazers.

— Atlanta has re-signed All-Star Paul Millsap and finalized a trade for reserve center-forward Tiago Splitter. Millsap agreed last week to a three-year, $58.9 million deal contract after leading Atlanta with averages of 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 15 double-doubles.

— New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis gets a five-year extension, beginning in 2016, worth about $145 million.

— Goran Dragic has signed his five-year deal with the Miami Heat. He averaged 16.6 points in 26 games with the Heat this season.

— A person with knowledge of the agreement tells The Associated Press that the two-year contract Kevin Garnett will sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves is worth $16 million.

— Brooklyn center Brook Lopez has signed a three-year deal worth about $60 million after averaging 19.7 points and 9.2 points after the All-Star break. The Nets also inked Thaddeus Young.

— The Phoenix Suns have confirmed the trade of forward Marcus Morris, guard Reggie Bullock and forward-guard Danny Granger to the Detroit Pistons for a second-round pick in 2020. The Suns also signed 14-year NBA veteran center Tyson Chandler to a four-year, $52 million pact, and a person with knowledge of the situation says the team also gave a one-year, $5.5 million deal to forward Mirza Teletovic.

— The New York Knicks have signed guard Arron Afflalo (uh-FLAH'-loh), center Robin Lopez and forwards Derrick Williams and Kyle O'Quinn.

— Sacramento traded guard Ray McCallum to the San Antonio Spurs for a second-round pick in next year's draft.

— A person with knowledge of the negotiations says shooting guard Gerald Green has agreed a one-year deal with Miami.

— Wes Johnson is staying in Los Angeles, but he will be playing for the Clippers after averaging 9.9 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Lakers last season.

WIMBLEDON

Williams is back in the Wimbledon finale

LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams is one win away from her 21st Grand Slam championship and fourth in a row. The top seed advanced to the women's final at Wimbledon with a 6-2, 6-4 win over fourth-seed Maria Sharapova. Williams will now face 20th seed Garbine Muguruza for the title. The Spaniard advanced to her first Grand Slam final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over 13th seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

In the Open era of professional tennis, which began in 1968, only Steffi Graf has won more major championships than Williams with 22.

Williams also is looking to become the second person to win all four majors in the same season, something Steffi Graf accomplished in 1988. Williams has already won the Australian and French Opens this year, with only the U.S. Open remaining in September.

U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

Weather interrupts first round

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Two players shared the lead when the first round of the U.S. Women's Open was suspended due to the threat of dangerous weather. Karrie Webb and Marina Alex each opened with 4-under 66s, putting them one stroke ahead of Amy Yang, Na Yeon Choi and Jane Park. Yang completed her first round, Park was through 13 and Choi had three holes remaining.

Morgan Pressel and Inbee Park were among six players in the clubhouse at minus-2.

The weather forecast prevented 56 players from finishing their round.

PGA-JOHN DEERE

Spieth stumbles out of gate

SILVIS, Illinois (AP) — Jordan Spieth struggled at times in the opening round of the John Deere Classic as he tunes up for next week's British Open at St. Andrews.

Spieth managed an even-par 71 despite three bogeys in a four-hole stretch. He also missed a birdie putt on 18, leaving him seven shots back.

Spieth will seek his third straight major title when he visits Scotland next week.

Justin Thomas and Nicholas Thompson were tied for the lead at 8 under, one shot better than Charles Howell III and Luke Guthrie.

TOUR DE FRANCE

Sixth stage result

LE HAVRE, France (AP) — Tour de France leader Tony Martin had to pull out of the race after breaking his collarbone in a crash that he caused late in the sixth stage. Czech rider Zdenek Stybar won the race in a sprint finish, while defending champion Vincenzo Nibali of Italy was caught in a crash near to the finish. In the ensuing confusion of the crash Stybar rode ahead unchallenged to clinch the victory. Both Nabali and Martin were able to finish the race but news of Martin's withdrawal came hours later.